Re: More specific on the Obscenity/Pornography documentation

[Theresa M Rowe <rowe () OAKLAND EDU>]

Our university "appropriate use" policy states:
"The use of computing, network, or information technology
resources must not violate any federal, Michigan and all
other applicable laws.  To the average person, applying
contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of any
electronic resource taken as a whole shall not appeal to the
prurient interest, such as does pornography."

Any complaint on this topic is handled just like any other
complaint in violation of our policy for appropriate use.
There's an entire section on reporting and sanctions for any
type of abuse.  In general, there's a reporting scheme first -
 we don't actively seek out abusers of the policy, but wait
for some type of report or system disturbance.  Once
reported, the report follows a chain depending on the
relationship - student, faculty, staff.  Usually, we just
tell people to stop and they do.  In other rare cases, more
formal disciplary actions result.

The full policy is at www.oakland.edu/uts, click on Policies
on the left, note the link to university policies, in
particular #890.  Or read #890 at
http://www2.oakland.edu/audit

I also want to make sure that we are not sending our staff,
and our student helpdesk staff, out to work on systems loaded
with material that they may find "offensive."  We train our
staff that if they encounter material that they find
offensive when working on a computer, they are to stop work
and tell their supervisor.  Supervisors then work with the
computer owner to remove the offensive material.  If the
computer wants to load it back up when we leave, that's ok.
Recognize that we have faculty doing research in this area
(particularly a sociology professor doing research on web
pornography).

Theresa Rowe





---- Original message ----
> Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 15:27:56 -0600
> From: Theresa Semmens <theresa.semmens () NDSU NODAK EDU>
> Subject: [SECURITY] More specific on the
Obscenity/Pornography documentation
> To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
>
>   I should have been more specific in my request.  I
>   apologize.  Would anyone like to share their formal
>   procedures for dealing with network misuse cases
>   involving obscenity/pornography (adult, run of the
>   mill type)?  I would like to know how other
>   universities handle this problem.  Thank you.
>
>   Theresa Semmens
>   NDSU IT Security Officer
>   North Dakota State University
>   Fargo, ND 58101
>   701.231.5870
>   Theresa.Semmens () ndsu nodak edu
>
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Theresa Rowe
Assistant Vice President
University Technology Services
www.oakland.edu/uts - the latest news from University Technology Services

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